This paper presents the static and dynamic characteristics of 1800V 6H-SiC vertical power MOSFETs. These devices exhibit an on-resistance of 46m Omega cm(2) at room temperature and a steady state current rating of 0.4A at a power dissipation of 160W/cm(2) The forward blocking mode is characterized by a stable avalanche breakdown with a current rating of 20mA/cm(2) This robust and stable avalanche breakdown could be further improved to a current rating of 2A/cm(2) by optimizing the doping profiles. The dynamic behavior of the 1800V MOSFETs proves to be controllable in all switching states and is also stable at higher temperatures. Particularly the devices withstand a short circuit for 85 mus with a maximum overload current of 2.7A at 300V DC supply voltage.